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RIAA Accounting — How Labels Avoid Paying Musicians
An anonymous reader writes "Last week, we discussed Techdirt's tale of 'Hollywood Accounting,' which showed how movies like Harry Potter still officially 'lose' money with some simple accounting tricks. This week Techdirt is taking on RIAA accounting and demonstrating why most musicians — even multi-platinum recording stars — may never see a dime from their album sales. 'They make you a "loan" and then take the first 63% of any dollar you make, get to automatically increase the size of the "loan" by simply adding in all sorts of crazy expenses (did the exec bring in pizza at the recording session? that gets added on), and then tries to get the loan repaid out of what meager pittance they've left for you. Oh, and after all of that, the record label still owns the copyrights.' The average musician on a major record deal 'gets' about $23 per $1,000 made... and that $23 still never gets paid because it has to go to 'recouping' the loan... even though the label is taking $630 out of that $1,000, and not counting it towards the advance. Remember all this the next time a record label says they're trying to protect musicians' revenue."
Mortly Indies? Never heard of them. What kind of music do they play?
Liberal? Conservative? Compare perspectives at Left-Right
The RIAA can't very well claim to be protecting the starving artists if the artists aren't starving.
They could give their music away for fee
The ironing is delicious.
Let me tell you how it will be;
There's 23 for you, 977 for me.
'Cause I’m the RIAAman,
Yeah, I’m the RIAAman.
Should zero per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don't sue you all.
'Cause I’m the RIAAman,
Yeah, I’m the RIAAman.
And you're working for no one but me.
RIAAman!
by Simon, Jul 13th, 2010 @ 9:41am But stronger DRM laws will fix this, right?
Jack Chick was right about the music industry, just not in the way he thought he was.
Emotions! In your brain!
... is whoever actively worked to make Justin Bieber a star.
Master of Overkill, I think you are.
Yeah, but RIAA will hook you up with the best drugs and hookers, and lawyers to get you out of jail. These are the expenditures that can't be itemized..
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
good god ... 20 years since nirvana was sold from subpop ... im old
man sed: "For all we know our love will grow", at least according to Paul McCartney.
Thanks for clearing that up. Someone should teach Intron about incomplete sentences :D
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
If the recording industry was really so oppressive, artists would find other ways to make more money. Free market capitalism is defined as the naturally occurring optimal distribution of resources. Stop trying to destroy what you don't understand.